allen



H. l. ALLEN. ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29. 1920. 1,368,010. e Patented Feb. 8,1921.

H. I. ALLEN.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APrLlCATlON FILED APR.29, I920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT I. ALLEN, 0F PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRON CHEMICALCOMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATIOI OF MAINE. I

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Application filed April 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT I. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to electrolytic cells such as employed inthe electrolytlc decomposition of saline solutions for the production ofchlorin and caustic soda,

The object of the invention is to provlde a cell of simple constructionin which there is a maximum active anode and cathode area, and in whichthe voltage may be low and the current efiiciency high. The object ofthe invention is attained by a construction in which the cathode isformed with a plurality of vertical grooves or corrugations, to registerwith spaced vertical anodes.

On the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 illustrates in side elevation a cell embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the same.

Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 represents an end elevation of the cathode.

Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the same, a part being brokenaway.

Fig. 6 represents an isometric perspective of a portion of the cathode.

Before proceeding to describe the particular embodiment of theinvention'which is illustrated in the drawings thus briefly re ferredto, I desire to have it understood that the improvements to be describedmay be embodied in cells of other constructions.

In the cell as illustrated, I employ a rectangular tank or container 10,which may be made of sheet metal andwhich isrelatively long and narrow..From the bottom of this tank leads an eduction pipe 11, by whichefliuent from the cell may be conducted :to a suitable receptacle andfinally treated for the removal of the contained salt.

Resting on the upper end of the tank, there is what may be termed afreeboard section in which the liberated chlorin is collected. Thisfreeboard section is formed of some inert material, such as slate or thelike, and it comprises side walls 12 and end walls 13. It is closed by acover 14 of inert material, the cover being perforated to re-Specification of Letters Patent.

proximately 180.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 377,536.

ce ive the anodes as will be explained It will be understood, of course,that the cover is provided with a dome or outlet through which thechlorin may be drawn for storage or use. As illustrated, the anode,considered as a whole, consists of a plurality of bars 15 of suitablematerial such as carbon, and, although these bars are'illustrated ascylindrical or round in cross-section, they may be rectangular orprismatic if desired. As shown, these bars are arranged in two rows,those at the endsof the respective rows being a little closer togetherthan the remainder.

The cathode in the'presentcase is illustrated as being formed somewhatlike a basket or in approximately rectangular form so that ,it will fitwithin the tank and be spaced from the walls thereof. The cathode ismade of sheet metal and it comprises side and end walls 16, 17, at theupper ends of -which is a continuous lateral flange 18 which is of suchdiameter that it may rest upon the end and side walls of thetank 10. Thebottom of the cathode is formed of a plate 19. The flange 18 isimperforate, but the side, end and bottom walls of the cathode areprovided with apertures or slots which are closely spaced together topermit the passage of the effluent of the cell therethrough.

If desired, these slots may take the form of what are known asherringbone slots, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

I have stated that the anode as a whole consists of spaced verticalbars, and it will be observed, from an examination of Fig. 3,

that the side and end walls of the basket or cathode are provided withgrooves or the anode are practically inclosed throughv out an arcof2709, whereas the remaining bars are inclosed throughout an arc of ap-The inclosing curved walls of the cathode are approximately concentricwith the respective anode bars but are spaced therefrom a short distanceso that there is no contact between them.

In the space between the anode bars and the cathode, I place a diaphragmof asbestos paper or equivalent porous material which will permit arelatively free percolation of the electrolyte. This diaphragm isindicated at 21. In placing it within the basket, I

take a long strip of asbestos paper and lay it against the side and endwalls of the oathode and against the interior faces thereof, and foldthe upper projecting edge of the paper outwardly so that it will overliethe flange 18. A second piece of the paper is died or cut out so that itwill fit within the cathode and rest upon the bottom wall thereof, andthen a narrow Strip of the asbestos paper, which is coated with sodiumsilicate, is fitted within the reentrant angle formed by the side andbottom walls of the cathode so as to prevent the escape of theelectrolyte at the juncture of the bottom and side walls of thediaphragin.

It will be understood, of course, that if the anode bars are square orotherwise of angular formation, viewed in cross-section, thecorrugations or grooves in the side and end walls of the basket cathodewill becomplementally shaped to receive them.

The basket cathode is clamped to the freeboard section so that it willdepend or hang within the tank 10. For this purpose, I use a rectangularframe 23, between which and the lower end of, the freeboard section arelocated theflange=18 of the cathode and the out-turned edge of thediaphragm. Suitable bolts, as indicated at 24, are employed to clamp thecover 14, the freeboard section, the rectangular hollow frame 23, theflange 18 and the out-turned edge of the diaphragm all tightly together.As a result of this construction and arrangement of parts,

the freeboard section, the anodes and the cathode may be bodily liftedfrom the tank, the frame 23 resting loosely on top of the tank as shown.

The anode bars are supported upon the bottom wall of the cathode, butare spaced therefrom by upright glass or porcelain studs 25, the headsof which rest upon the bottom of the cathode and the shanks of WhlCllfit in recesses 26 formed in the .bottoms of the anode bars 15.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that, in a cell of givendimensions, I have secured a maximum active area of the cathode and theanodes, this area bein greatly increased by the formation of the catho ewith its vertical corrugations by which the anode bars are partiallyinclosed by the cathode walls. The lower ends of the anode bars and thebottom of the cathode are likewise active. In the operation of the cell,the faces of the the active faces of the cathode, become worn ordisintegrated after some time, and the space between the anode bars andthe oathode gradually. increases in width. With the constructionillustrated, however, it is possible to rotate each of the anode barsthrough an angle of approximately 180 so as to bring an unworn or newface of the ar in proximity to the cathode, and thus anode, whichconfront restore the original space between these parts. It isfurthermore easy to remove any one of the bars since it may be liftedvertically from the freeboard section and the cathode, and replace itwith a fresh bar. Of course, it will be understood that a suitablebus-bar connection is employed for leading current to the anodes andthat an electrical connection is made with the cathode for carrying awaycurrent.

It will be further seen from the construction described that the voltageof the cell is reduced since the distance which the current musttraverse through the electrolyte from any point on one of the anode barsto the cathode is very small. Of course, care must be taken to see thatthe electrolyte is substantially saturated with salt and that thecurrent is not wasted in decomposing the water of the solution.

With a cell of this construction in a given floor space in a cell plant,it is possible to either run an ordinary electrolytic cell load at agreatly reduced voltage or else to run a greatly increased load at avoltage which would be no higher than that of cells without the featuresas herein described.

I do not herein specifically claim the struc ture disclosed and claimedin my copending application Serial No. 29, 1920.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described awayof making and using the same, although without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,what I claim is:

1. In an electrolytic cell, an anode consisting of one or more rows ofvertical bars, and a cathode having a vertical wall spaced from saidbars, said wall being formed with vertical perforated corrugationsregistering with said bars.

2. In an electrolytic cell, a basket-shaped cathode having corrugationsin its side walls.

3. In an electrolytic cell, a basket-shaped cathode having verticalcorrugations in its side walls.

4:. In an electrolytic cell, a basket-shaped cathode having corrugationsin its side and end walls.

5. In an electrolytic cell, a basket-shaped cathode having an out-turnedflange at its upper end, and having perforated corrugations in its sidewalls.

6. In an electrolytic cell, a basket-shaped cathode having at its upperend an imperforate flange projecting outwardly from its end and sidewalls, the side walls of said cathode being formed with perforated corruations.

In an electrolytic cell, an anode consisting of parallel spaced bars,and a basketshaped cathode inclosing. said bars, said cathode beingformed with perforated cor- 377,537, filed April rugations registeringwith said bars, and a porous diaphragm located between the anode and thecathode and-bearing against the inner faces of said corrugations.

8. In an electrolytic cell, a tank, a freeboard section supported onsaid tank, a basket-like cathode secured to said freeboard section andhanging into the tank, and an anode in said cathode and consisting of aplurality of spaced bars, said cathode having corrugations inits sidewalls registering with said bars.

9. In an electrolytic cell, a tank, a freeboard section supported onsaid tank, a basket-like cathode secured to said freeboard section andhanging into the tank, and an anode in said cathode and consisting of aplurality of vertical spaced; bars, said cathode having verticalperforated corrugations in its side walls, and having an outturnedflange at its upper end by which it is secured as aforesaid to saidfreeboard section.

in testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

HERBERT I. ALLEN.

